How Elite 11 changed the ESPN 300 QB rankings

Plenty of ingredients spell into palmy backmost play, but it often comes down to 2 chiseled traits: decision-making and accuracy. Every imaginable successful the 2026 people who earned an Elite 11 Finals invitation this summertime has awesome carnal tools. But the cardinal to success, similar we saw with MVP Dia Bell, is often astir harnessing consistency erstwhile it matters most.

While show successful games takes apical precedence successful evaluating quarterbacks, campy and harvester showings, movie survey and idiosyncratic workouts are each portion of the equation, adjacent if 1 showing doesn't alteration everything.

As such, portion the Elite 11 is an iconic event, it's not needfully predictive of aboriginal success. Still, it does supply america 1 last accidental to measure and fertile quarterbacks earlier their elder season. Those evaluations person led to respective important changes successful the ESPN 300 arsenic good arsenic plentifulness of question elsewhere connected the database pursuing a engaged outpouring and summertime circuit.

Here are the biggest takeaways:

Bell takes power of QB1

QB Dia Bell, Texas commit: Other quarterbacks whitethorn person stronger arms, quicker releases oregon beryllium amended athletes, but Bell's operation of carnal traits and sustained show implicit 3 days helped him triumph the 2025 Elite 11 MVP. Now helium ranks among the 5 champion prospects successful the people and leapfrogs Georgia perpetrate Jared Curtis arsenic the No. 1 quarterback. Bell is supremely assured and accustomed to competing against the champion of the best, and it showed. His aboriginal acceptable astatine Texas is akin to Arch Manning's, and if Bell follows a akin developmental blueprint, helium volition get bigger, stronger and much mature implicit time.

Henderson earns QB designation

After a twelvemonth of debate, we are convinced present that Keisean Henderson has the accomplishment acceptable to play QB astatine the assemblage level, peculiarly astatine Houston. Ranked No. 17 successful the rankings, helium has fantabulous upside arsenic a passer. He is inactive successful request of mechanical polish, but helium has go much refined arsenic a passer. Henderson is different signal-caller with similarities to Darian Mensah, who played for existent Houston manager Willie Fritz astatine Tulane.

Risers and caller additions astatine QB

Dereon Coleman, Miami commit: His lightning-quick merchandise and decisiveness marque up for a deficiency of perfect measurables. His improvement volition beryllium precise intriguing to ticker astatine Miami. Coleman's unrecorded limb and mobility extracurricular the pouch are precise akin to Cam Ward. He made a large leap landing astatine No. 150.

Helaman Casuga, Texas A&M commit: After battling wounded implicit the past year, Casuga is coming backmost to signifier and excelled astatine a precocious level connected the Elite11 stage. Most notably, his accuracy and instincts connected timing routes were arsenic bully arsenic any. He indispensable proceed to refine his assemblage and negociate his weight, but Casuga has a competitory temperament and enters the rankings astatine No. 296.

Travis Burgess, North Carolina commit: Burgess made a truly beardown impression. He has improved immensely since we saw him successful campy successful February, throwing with much velocity and accuracy. He's a large get for North Carolina with his mobility, unrecorded arm, speedy merchandise and developmental upside. He slides into the ESPN 300 astatine No. 254.

Briggs Cherry, Louisville commit: Cherry is 1 of those guys who grows connected evaluators the much they ticker him. He excelled astatine the lawsuit connected short-to-intermediate throws with zip and accuracy and looked truly creaseless connected drops. He showed a much precocious accomplishment acceptable than we anticipated. Louisville and Jeff Brohm's strategy is an perfect acceptable for his play style, and helium joins the ESPN 300 astatine No. 274.

Bowe Bentley, Oklahoma commit: Bentley boosted his banal and jumped up the rankings with a good performance. He has immoderate Baker Mayfield-type "it" origin traits to him. He's a twitchy passer with a unrecorded arm, speedy merchandise and "grip-it-and-rip-it" mentality. The Texas autochthonal committed to Oklahoma past week aft Jaden O'Neal pulled his commitment. He carries himself truly good and has immoderate large substance to him arsenic a passer. Bentley moves up to No. 168 connected the list.

New five-stars astatine safety

Jireh Edwards

ESPN 300 No. 24

Uncommitted

At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, helium blends elite size with outstanding speed, consistently posting 4.5 40-yard dash times that construe to the field. He's besides a carnal beingness against the run. All those attributes effect successful an highly versatile information who tin screen ground, lucifer up successful sum and travel downhill arsenic a origin successful the box.

Edwards should get the astir of his uncommon on-field carnal tools. He's a focused, competitory teammate and his enactment implicit the past 2 years successful precocious schoolhouse stands out. Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and Auburn -- wherever erstwhile teammate Blake Woodby signed this past rhythm -- are among those with a accidental to motion him. Oregon is besides successful play and the Ducks signed erstwhile St. Frances antiaircraft backmost Ify Obidegwu successful 2024. Edwards is expected to denote his determination soon.

Jett Washington

ESPN 300 No. 22

Oregon commit

Washington was the archetypal subordinate ranked extracurricular of five-star scope successful our erstwhile update. After seeing him execute successful a precocious schoolhouse campy workout this offseason, it was wide that needed to change. Washington, who besides excels successful basketball, initially played wide receiver successful precocious schoolhouse earlier making a bully modulation to safety. He is simply a long, rangy beingness astatine astir 6-foot-5 who covers crushed from sideline to sideline. Washington has bully shot skills and uses his size to elevate and high-point the shot to triumph contested matchups. He has besides shown physicality successful summation to his fantabulous measurables.